Amazon roundup: Webstore fees, AmazonFresh, customer satisfaction

Amazon (AMZN) is set to significantly increase the fees it charges merchants for selling via its Webstore platform. As of Feb. 4, subscription fees will rise to $79/month for both merchants selling only on their site, and those selling both on their site and Amazon; they respectively paid $40/month and no subscription fee before. In addition, the transaction fee charged to the latter group will double to 2%.

Amazon has already carried out a string of fee hikes for its on-site fulfillment services. But while merchants have griped, the hikes haven't yet halted Amazon's share gains against EBAY and other rivals. 3rd-party sales accounted for 40% of Amazon's Q3 paid units, and are a relatively high-margin business.

AllThingsD reports the AmazonFresh grocery delivery service could launch in San Francisco on Tuesday. AmazonFresh, which helps act as a foundation for Amazon's same-day delivery efforts, launched in L.A. earlier this year, and might soon launch in NYC. No drones for now.

Amazon has topped analytics firm ForeSee's customer satisfaction rankings for 100 top brands, with a score of 87. eBay comes in at #39, and has a score of 82.